Lock structure



Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Application September13,

3 Claims.

Generically this invention relates to looks, but it more especially isdirected to automobile door locks.

One of the principal objects of this invention is the provision ofantifriction means for preventing wear of and damage to the retractilelatch bolt of automobile door locks heretofore prevalent by reason ofthe slidable engagement of said bolts with their keepers.

10 An important object of this invention is the provision of anautomobile door lock embodying an improved spring controlled retractilebolt structure including antifriction means carried by the bolt forsubstantially eliminating wear and damage to the portion of the boltheretofore adapted to engage and travel over the contacting surface ofthe strike plate or keeper during the movement of the door in closingdirection.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a bolt structurefor automobile door locks of the type wherein, the bolt is formed with abevel face adapted to engage a keeper and eifect retraction of the boltwhen the door is moved in closing direction, the end of the bolt adaptedto engage in said keeper when the door is closed to maintain the same insuch position, and antifriction means adapted to coact with said keeperor strike plate to prevent frictional contact of said bevel surface withthe keeper, thereby substantially eliminating wear of said bevel face atthe end of the bolt, and without interfering with the locking engagementof the free end of the bolt with its keeper.

With these and other objects in View, which will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which likecharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures, of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of portions of an automobile door and bodyshowing the mounting of the lock and keeper, respectively.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the bolt with parts indisassembled relation.

Fig. 3 is a, fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of the bolt,illustrating the roller bearing operatively positioned.

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2 with the parts assembled andillustrating a slightly modified form of roller bearing structure.

Some of the disadvantages of the types of automobile door lockstructures heretofore in use 1934, Serial No. 743,928

are; that the use of grease or oil on the bevel face of the latch and onthe strike plate has been necessary with consequent damage to clothingof the occupants of the car in entering and leaving the car; frictionalengagement of the bolt with the keeper or strike plate causing rapidwear of the bolt and necessitating slamming of the door to make it shutproperly, often causing damage to the door or body of the car andbreakage of the door glass; and the jarring open of the door whentraveling over rough roads, due to worn out parts, etc.; whereas theemployment of my improved antifriction bolt structure eliminates thenecessity for the use of oil or grease, slamming of the door therebyreducing the chances of door glass breakage, eliminating wear on thebevel face and the end of the bolt thus saving the expense of rebuildingthe end of the bolt or replacing the worn bolt with an entire new lockas has been prevalent, eliminating the untimely opening of the door whenthe car is traveling over an uneven road surface or when rounding curvesby reason of faulty catching of the bolt due to worn and damaged partswith possible injury to the occupants, and insuring easy and positiveaction of the bolt with respect to its keeper, and reduces maintenanceand replacement costs to a minimum, and which results were achieved byproviding a bolt having a roller or ball bearing mounted in the bevelface thereof, so positioned with respect to the bevel surface area, inconnection with different types and sizes of looks, as to practicallyeliminate frictional contact of the bolt with the strike plate or keeperand without interfering with the catching or looking engagement of thefree end of the bolt with its keeper, and which structure forms thesubject matter of this invention.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there isshown an automobile body I and body 2, of conventional design, a lock 3adapted to be mounted in door 2 comprising operating handle, key controlmechanism, and spring bolt operating means of conventional design, andsince they form no part of the present invention they are not shown.

The lock 3 comprises a bolt 5 movable through edge 4 of door 2 and isformed at its free end with a bevel face 6, and adjacent thereto on itsupper surface with a countersunk portion 1. A drilled bore 8 is formedin said countersunk portion I and extends downwardly to a point spacedfrom the bottom surface a distance equal to the depth of saidcountersunk portion. Said bore 8 is offset with respect to said bevelface 6 but intersects the same forming the transverse slot like opening9.

A roller bearing 9 preferably formed at each end with pivots I adaptedto seat in sockets I I formed in the bottom of said bore and in theunder surface of cap plate I2, respectively, said roller is mounted inbore 8 and cap plate I2 is seated in countersunk portion 1, welded orotherwise suitably secured therein. Said cap plate when so positionedconstitutes continuations of the upper side and bevel surface of saidbolt 5, and secures said roller bearing 9 in operative position as willbe clear without further description. When roller 9 is thus operativelymounted one edge is adapted to protrude through opening 9 beyond thebevel surface 6 of said bolt and when thus mounted in said bore isadapted to have just enough clearance tolerance therein to permit theeasy turning or revolving of same,

as and for a purpose hereinafter more fully appearing.

The'body I is formed in its edge I3 with an opening I4, and a keeper I 5formed with an opening I6 adapted to register with opening I4 and aninclined bolt contact face portion I1 is secured to said body or doorjam by screws or in any suitable manner.

' While one form of keeper has been described, it is tobe understoodthat the keeper or latch bolt retaining means may be varied inaccordance with the particular requirements without departing from thespirit or scope ofv this invention.

The form illustrated in Fig. 4 is similar to the form heretoforedescribed except that a plurality of roller bearings are distributedover the face 6 instead'of a single roller bearing 9, and which in someforms of bolt and keeper structures may be found expedient.

From the above it will be evident that when the door 2 nearly reachesclosed position roller bearing 9 engages contact face I! which is soangularly positioned with respect to bevel face 6 as to cause said faceto travel over surface I1 during the retractive movement. of bolt 5without frictional engagement therewith, and when said bolt reachesaligned position with respect to opening I4-it is projected therein, theside of the bolt opposite to said bevel face engages the keeper or wallof opening I4 to maintain the door in closed position.

It'is apparent that I have designed an improved lock structure forautomobile doors and the like comprising a unique antifriction latchbolt, simple in construction, manufacturable at a minimum of cost, and,eflicient for the purposes intended, and applicable to andeasily'installable in locks already in use without material alterationto existing structures,

Although in practice I have found that the form of my inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing and referred to in thedescription as the preferred embodiment, is the most efilcient andpractical; yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption ofmy invention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that variousminor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement ofparts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire protected by LettersPatent is as set forth in the following claims:

1. In a door lock for automobiles, a sliding bolt carried by the lockwith its normally projecting tip having a beveled face, the uppersurface of said tip adjacent the beveled face being countersunk, a boreformed in said countersunk portion and forming a slot in saidbevel'face, a roller bearing mounted in said bore and slot, and a capplate seating in the countersunk portion adapted to secure the roller inoperative position and forming continuations of said surface and bevelface of the bolt.

2. In a door look, a retractile slidable bolt, the free end of said boltin said bore and projecting partially through the opening, and a capplate seating in the countersunk portion adapted to secure the bearingand constitute continuations of the upper surface and vented andpositive interlocking of said bolt with said keeper by engagement ofsaid straight side therewith is effected.

3. A look for automobile doors comprising av EMORY S. STROBERG.

